The best of East Anglia’s tourism industry have been recognised at an annual award ceremony.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Tourism Awards, hosted by Archant the publisher of the Eastern Daily Press and Norwich Evening News, brought together businesses from across the sector.

The big winners at the awards, sponsored by Hoseasons, were the Maids Head Hotel and the Assembly House, both in Norwich, which bagged two gongs each.

And businesses in Suffolk were also celebrating with Southwold’s Maize Maze and Africa Alive! both winning prizes for the best visitor attraction in the region.

And it was a very special night for Greg Munford, chief executive director of Richardson’s Holiday Parks, who was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award for his tireless contribution to the sector.

Norfolk and Suffolk Tourism Awards

As well as his role at Richardson’s, Mr Munford is the president of British Marine Federation, was appointed by the secretary of state as a member of the Broads Authority and is a past chairman and director of the influential destination marketing organisation Visit the Broads.

Before the awards EDP editor David Powles congratulated the nominees and looked forward to another exciting year for tourism in East Anglia.

He said: “Tonight is all about celebration. We know there is a lot of uncertainty out there with Brexit on the horizon but tourism continues to be an area of success and growth.

“In Norfolk the latest figures show that tourism is the largest sector industry in the county, supporting 65,000 jobs, which equates to around 18pc of all employment, while in Suffolk, the value of tourism hit £2bn for the first time in 2018 – that’s 5pc growth year on year, now supporting more than 42,000 jobs.

“There are many positive stories about tourism in our region reported regularly in the EDP. It’s important we recognise the achievements and contributions of businesses and individuals to the sector.

“In Norfolk, the first ever Norfolk Day was a huge success, gaining the backing of Prince William, Stephen Fry and national accolades have already this year been handed to Roarr Dinosaur Adventure and Norwich Market, with no doubt more to come.”

Hoseasons’ Simon Altham added: “We are once again delighted to be supporting these awards and demonstrating our commitment to the regional economy. As a business with 75 years’ local heritage it’s incredibly rewarding to be playing our part in such a great event and recognising the true heroes of our local tourism industry.”